Fairy Tale Spotlight: Aggresive Retsuko

Aggressive Retsuko is a Netflix exclusive Japanese anime from 2016 that I recently watched 2 seasons of. It's actually been a bit. I got sidetracked and probably should have written this review a while back.

I don't know if I ever said this, but I am a huge fan of Disney's Zootopia. But the truth is, I pretty much am looking for anything with furry type characters in it. So Aggressive Retsuko hit my radar pretty hard. But I think the thing that fascinated me the most about it was that it was made by Sanrio. If you don't know who they are, these are the people who gave us Hello Kitty. Only with this new franchise... the content is intended for adults.

I know what you're thinking: A company that has catered to children suddenly wants to show they can make adults happy too. What this usually means is a bunch of cute animals saying crude things and talking about sex. Wait! Wait! No. This show is actually amazingly written and interesting. Wow.

No, seriously! The first episode had me hooked. By the third episode, it was like my own personal crack. I got addicted. I may have missed a few meals.

Aggressive Retsuko follows the story of a red panda named Retsuko as she navigates a hostile work environment as well as deal with the trials of being a young adult. She is adorable. She is so adorable. Also she takes out her stress by singing death metal karaoke. That's so cute.

Her boss Ton, portrayed as a fat pig, often treats her like crap. Wait, I know. It's a male chauvinist thing, right? Well... kinda? Like sorta? The thing about this show is... they tend to deliver you what you think are political tropes, but then they very evenly give you both sides of the story. So... even if you end up hating Ton for how he treats her, you kind of know where he's coming from. I mean... by the end of season 2 I actually kind of liked him.

It is really hard to predict anything in this show. Annoying character become endearing as time goes on. It is all a matter of learning more about them and why they act the way they do. They even went after snowflake millennials from a very compassionate angle while still fully acknowledging that they are a problem. But there was one character that threw me for a loop: Tadano the donkey.

Tadano is actually my favorite character in the whole series, and he doesn't even show up till season 2. I once had a friend like Tadano. His name was Roger. Roger believed that all our problems could be solved by creating an AI that could work for us while we worked towards a utopia where everyone relaxed and just did the things that made them happy. This is Tadano in a nutshell. The difference between Tadano and my former friend Roger was that Tadano was actually bothering to make it happen... and Roger was sorta... talking about it... a lot... and trying to get other people to do it for him. Tadano wins. Sorry, Roger.

At his heart, Tadano is 100% a nice and even wonderful person. He truly believed in a world where everyone could just be happy and create things. And he was making a honest push for it and could back it up with his own personal experience. In a way, he was already living that life for himself. And even if he was a bit misguided in the way he was doing this, there was no denying that he was a sweetheart. I don't want to spoil much more about his plot line, but I liked everything they did with him and his relationship with Retsuko.

I adored both seasons of this show. It is well written and extremely thoughtful. Nothing felt like they were trying too hard to separate themselves from their children roots. They just wanted to write a good story for adults to enjoy. It never goes too far in either direction and explains all points of views. Also Retsuko is so cute. God, she's cute.

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Thing that Couldn't Die

[Some spoilers coming up.]

The Thing that Couldn't Die is a black and white movie from 1958 that I recently watched. I watch a lot of old movies. I usually regret it, but not this time. Not entirely. It was worth my time for the most part. Let me tell you why.

The filmmakers were real big in taking supernatural and occult phenomenon and happily making them the centerpiece of their movie. You had a woman with psychic powers who accidentally finds an old lost box buried in the ground by none other than Sir Francis Drake. The box included the head of a wizard from, what I believe was, the American colonial period. But get this: the head ain't dead.

The horror element of the film comes from how this magical head uses his powers to manipulate the poor people at a ranch to restore him to his former glory and then... be evil a lot, I guess. I mean it was very clear that he was evil. I'm just sure what his actual end game was.

He was also very persuasive. The wizard, who was called Gideon Drew, had hypnotic abilities and was fairly easily able to bring certain people into his allegiance. Once in his allegiance, their personalities would shift to a darker, more... uh... evil sort of theme. I mean... just so you know whose side they were on now. It certainly helped me.

The funny thing about who the wizard picked to hypnotize was that it was limited to either men with mental disorders... or women. Any women. Even nice, friendly, kind-hearted ones. Both were fantastically easy for him to control. Oh, and if you were a good girl who cared about people, prepare to drop all that and go full on bad girl. Drop that blue dress for a black one! This is how Gideon likes his women!

Speaking of women, this movie has some great moments of psudo-lesbianism. When the girls started to get afraid, they... um... just... sort of... started sleeping together. In fact, some of the lines they shared made them almost sound like a married couple. I don't know if this was intended but I was not complaining. This may have actually been the best part of the film!

Some aspects of the film were dumb. I won't tell you the specifics, but the wizard's weakness was a bit too overpowered. It was as if Superman's weakness was a spoon. Like Superman can do anything, but there are spoons everywhere so he's pretty much screwed wherever he goes. There's not much point to give someone power if they are too easily destroyed in fiction. Lessons learned.

Also the reason Gideon can't die felt a bit forced. Apparently the guys who beheaded him really hated him so much that they punished him by making him live forever with his head separated from his body. I mean... I know that sounds terrible and all... but it also opened up the entire plot of this movie with him trying to come back in the modern era. Wouldn't have killing him be better all around? You get your revenge and he doesn't come back. Can't let God have a go at him?

Wait, is this movie worth it? Actually yes. You should see it. Why? There was a scene where one girl asked the other girl when she was coming to bed. AS IN WITH HER! And I guess the movie is pretty entertaining all around despite all the nitpicking flaws it has. It was fun. And the wizard was genuinely creepy. No, really. He was. There is something about a disembodied head, moving his lips with no words coming out, as he somehow takes over the minds of helpless women. Yes. Yes, I liked this movie.

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Mole People

The Mole People (1956) is a genuinely good movie with one very unfortunate flaw. Is it still worth seeing? Sure! I just want to put that one flaw into perspective so you can be ready for it. I won't be doing much spoiling. The flaw that I mentioned is a bit of a spoiler, but I feel I have to punish the naughty filmmakers who put it in the movie.

The movie out rightly assumed that the Biblical flood happened. This was actually the hook that got me interested. I was paying close attention to everything after that. Regardless of what really happened during the flood, the movie tells of a civilization that hid underground during the Great Flood and survived it. Although they did ended up trapped down there. This is another Hollow Earth type story, but I liked how it was crossed over with Biblical history.

The people living down there are worshipers of Ishtar and survive by limiting their numbers through means of sacrificing each other to their goddess. I found it really interesting that they did this. It reminds me of how the elites of the world want to cut down on the world population in order to better take control of us. Georgian Guide Stones anyone? No?

Oh, yes. And there were mole people. I guess it was a trend in the 50's to name your movie after the monster. They were pretty interesting too, but hardly a major part of the film (and honestly not even all that monstrous). The hidden city of Ishtar was far more interesting and the actual reason to watch the movie. With that, I think I have said enough. I don't want to spoil anything else. Just know it is very good and worth your time.

But wait. That flaw. There is something really stupid in this movie and it happens within the very last 10 seconds of the film. Remember my last blog about AHP? It happens in this movie and it is incredibly stupid. It doesn't ruin the film, but it does knock a solid star off of it. It was dumb and they shouldn't have done it.

The Mole People is a genuinely interesting and enjoyable movie throughout. The characters are acted out well enough. I enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who likes good 50's adventure films, Biblical and prehistory references, and realistic fairy lore. Enjoy!

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: AHP (Alternate History Protection)

The unknown branch of the movie industry: AHP. The ridiculous obsessive compulsive agency known as Alternate History Protection. Is it real? It might as well be. I've seen the signs.

We don't have as much of a problem with this today as we used to, but there are still some sad people out there who can't wrap their minds around an alternate history. It has to do with the idea that fiction is separate from reality. We can enjoy it knowing well that it doesn't really exist. But there is a compulsion in people to overthink based on the reality they presently reside in.

Still don't know what I am talking about? Let me throw a scenario at you. There are a lot of old and quite wonderful films where adventurers journey into an uncharted land. They find ancient civilizations that still exist. If not that then they just find something we thought was lost but ultimately still resides somewhere deep underground. It is a formula that has been proven to create a wondrous sense of adventure. We all love to make those vicarious journeys.

Usually these stories end with there being some sort of proof obtained. It could be a great treasure or a human or living creature from this long lost world. If the heroes were to bring them out into the world, history would be changed forever. The whole world would now know that there is great and wonderful things hidden away. Alas... in comes the AHP.

Generally what happens is that, at the last moment, the proof is lost somehow. The treasure is somehow lost or the living entity is killed in some sort of contrived way such as an unexpected earthquake. There is a reason why this is happening and it has to do with what AHP is: Alternate History Protection.

The idea of it is that if the heroes actually come out of the adventure with solid evidence that the amazing place existed, it would break continuity which what actually happens in real life. The story could easily be called fake and unrealistic. For those sitting in the theater, we are all yearning for the truth to come out, but we are not allowed to have it because it would get mismatched with the world around us. This is often why the rug gets pulled from under our feet right at the end of these movies. I get the feeling even the writers want it, to some extent, but then here comes the AHP to ruin everybody's fun.

Of course, there is no real agency out there called the AHP. This phenomenon is more a matter of obsessive compulsiveness. Apparently they forget that they are making fiction. Alternate history is not a bad thing, but they don't want to upset us or something. It's stupid. It can ruin a pretty awesome movie too.

There was also a similar thing in old sitcoms. I remember as a kid that there always seemed to be a struggle with sitcom characters to make it big-time. Either strike it rich or achieve their dreams, and there were a lot of episodes where they would come close only to lose out at the last moment. A sitcom character striking it rich may not have altered history, but it is in the similar vein of obsessively crushing aspects of the story for whatever reason. Everyone has to sit in the same box, because coming out of that box would be too hard to fathom.

Well, I fathom alternate histories and entire universes quite easily. It's pretty exciting. I live to imagine new things and wonder what could be or even what could have been. What's so wrong with that? Would people really reject a movie because it told a story inaccurate to what history had to offer? Well, possibly... but it's still stupid.

There was a game in 2013 called Ryse: Son of Rome. It is an alternate history where Rome was not actually conquered but survived until the present day. It is entirely wrong, but damn was it a fun game. The game was not a huge success though. I don't think it was so much for the story as it was for the game play (which I had no problem with, by the way). The game defies history and I think it is better for it.

I think my main problem with AHP is the cynicism it can cause. The message AHP really delivers is that there really is no hope. We're stuck in an endless loop of disappointment. Why not try showing us what the human spirit can really do? We went to the moon, didn't we? If the AHP had their way, all the spaceships would come tumbling down at the last moment. How is that a good thing? How about we get some wins once in a while... and not worry so much about continuity? It's fiction... and with enough effort... fiction becomes reality.

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: Phantasm (Movie Series)

I don't even know how to review this series. It's all over the place. Even if I were to try and spoil the films, it would be too difficult. Nobody would understand what I was saying. It would just sound like I was describing completely different films at one time and just adding "The Tall Man" every few moments to make it sound like there was continuity. So I'm not going to try.

The Phantasm series began in 1979 and wrapped up in 2016 spanning a whopping 5 movies. It's good. I swear it's good. Take my word on it. Well, okay. I'll try and give you a bit more to go on.

The key phrases here are:

-An army of undead (but not zombies or vampires).
-Little, metal, flying spheres that kill people (in every movie).
-A tall man who is impossible to kill (who says "BOOOYY" a lot).
-Crazy things happen (but might not have actually happened).
-There is an ice cream man who is a gun-toting bad ass (but can't for the life of him get a date).
-Midgets. (Most of them are bad. Most of them.)

I could keep going. Have I spoiled the movie yet? Were you able to take those bullet points and assemble a plot? I bet you couldn't!

The Phantasm series, as a whole, feels like someone's fever dream that they just can't escape from. Funny thing about that! It was actually based on a dream! It shows. There are a lot of things about this series that seems to fit "dream logic."

Apparently all the glass in the world is made out of sugar. There was one moment where a little boy easily jumped through the back window of a hearse. How? I mean... seriously how? Guns very rarely ever need to be reloaded. They just shoot forever until the characters start talking and then that's when they reload. Cars apparently don't need gas. People don't seem to know the world is ending half the time. People literally act like nothing is happening. It's bizarre. But then... it might be a dream.

But I'm not saying the series is a dream. I'm saying it's like a dream. It's like reality changes into a dream. You sort of have to roll with it. If you fail at this, you'll probably just end up going nuts. Half the time you're watching the Phantasm movies you feel like your nuts. The movie seems to seamlessly transition from one scene to a completely unrelated scene. But wait... it is related. It only felt unrelated. In the end... everything made sense somehow. They pulled it off. Somehow. I'm actually quite tired, sorry.

I think I am just padding this out so that you know what I know. And what I know is that the Phantasm series is good. It is really, really good. And everything is explained well enough. And the conclusion is weirdly satisfying. And I am really just ready to move on after letting five movies rearrange my head. Watch these films!

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: Gulliver's Travels (1939 Film)

I've been saying this for a while now. I consider Max Fleischer to be one of the absolute greatest pioneers in animation in our history. At times, I want to rank him higher than Disney. At times. The movie Gulliver's Travels is one of his finest, and if you haven't seen it, you should. It is fairy tale gold.

Of course, the movie is based on the book by Johnathan Swift. It is a story I never really got around to reading. I can't really make any comparisons in this blog. What I can do is just let you know what this movie achieved.

I actually watched this movie a lot growing on on a Beta Max tape. I am pretty sure it was in black and white though. The film was apparently released in Technicolor, so I think I just remembered it wrong. I recently reconnected with it on Amazon Prime Video which lets you watch it 100% free. (At the time this blog is coming out anyways.)

It follows the adventures of Gulliver, a sailor, who gets shipwrecked in a land full of little people. I don't really want to talk too much about the plot. Just know that it is very good and fun throughout the film. The thing that was more amazing to me was the presentation.

This film came out in 1939. Max Fleischer had already been experimenting with animation quite a bit by this point in time. But this movie tried a lot of different techniques that blended in a strange way. Not bad at all, mind you.

The little people of Lilliput and Blefuscu are all very cartoony and silly looking. Big noses, huge eyes, silly hats. The entire country is full of clownish types. The exception are the prince and princess of their respective countries. They are hyper realistic human beings. They are also far more serious than their cartoony fellows. This was likely by design. Their story was far more serious than the one happening to everyone else... so the artists rendered them serious.

Gulliver himself is also realistic but extremely and flawlessly rotoscoped into this movie. So well did they capture a real actor frame by frame that he almost looks like a real giant standing among little goofy looking cartoon people. The contrast is stunning. There was this one part where he pulls on a boot and then stomps. There is a loud thud and the screen shakes. It was a brilliantly executed effect. It momentarily made me feel small. Finding immersion like this in old movies is rare.

The castle at Blefuscu was pretty to look at too. It was surrounded by water which actually just looked like real water. It very well could have been a film of real water blended into a drawing. I'm not actually sure how they did it. It was well done.

There was another frightening moment where the little people accidentally discharge Gulliver's giant pistol and rather violently take out one of their lookout towers. It was a well done effect and did well to point out how dangerous a giant's pistol would be to them. It became a major plot point later on in the film as well.

Probably the most notable character in the movie was Gabby. He was the Town crier of Lilliput. He isn't actually from the book, but he was one of the most hilarious persons in the movie. He was a grumpy character who nobody ever took seriously or even listened to half the time. And if I could be honest... he did not deserve that.

Gabby had a big ego and claimed to be a great adventurer before he became a boring ol' town crier, and as the movie moved forward, I started to believe him. Of all the characters in the movie, Gabby was the only one who took anything seriously. He was the one everyone followed when things got real. He was smart and bold. There were moments where he seemed cowardly, but they did not seem to define him as a person. His actions throughout the film painted him more as a hero character than a goofy pointless one.

Interesting enough, it was only Gabby who got a spin-off series after the movie's success. I've seen some of them and they are very funny. He is a very enjoyable character and not to be taken lightly.

Gulliver's Travels is available on Amazon Prime Video for free. It is about an hour and fifteen minutes in length, Well worth your time.

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

So way back in 2008, a game came out called Too Human. It took Norse mythology and and did an amazing job at making it all look high tech. The story was interesting and engaging. I kept wanting to see what would happen next. The sad thing is was that I never finished it. Why? Because the game was terrible. Just... teeeeerrrible. Awful. Just a chore to play. Boring. Horribly boring. I tried to replay it recently. I got a little bit further. Nope. I'm out. The story, as wonderful as it is, isn't worth the trouble of actually playing it.

Too Human actually got me into Norse mythology to some degree. I loved learning about their petty gods and I even liked how the game used their famous runes to help your character out in fights. (Not that it will matter. The game sucks.)

I gave up hope late last year that I was ever going to be bothered with Norse mythology in video games ever again. Then came a game called Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. And I think I speak for everyone who played it when I say, "Hell yeah!"

Damn, but I enjoyed this game. I loved this game so much that I nearly got annoyed with people interrupting me when I was playing it. "What funeral?! Can't you see I am slaying demons down in Niflheim?!"

Hellblade is is about a Pict warrior from Orkney named Senua who travels to Hell to barter for the soul of her lover, Dillion, from the goddess Hela. (She isn't nice. In fact, she is really quite horrible. I didn't like her one bit.) On top of having to actually just walk into Hell, Senua is suffering from an extreme case of mental psychosis. She's nuts. And since you have to play someone who is nuts, you have to be nuts too.

The game takes you through the fever dream that is Niflheim. It is not a good place. It is not a safe place. It is 100% horrible on every level. Everything is nasty and hateful. But in all its nastiness, it is somehow beautiful in its presentation. And here I was learning again about Norse mythology. I saw the runes again. I heard the stories again. I had come back to this wonderful fairy tale... but this time... IT WAS FUN! And freaking intense too. You ever wanna know what it's like to be inside a crazy person's head while she fights the forces of evil? Play this game.

Apparently the game was developed by an actual psychologist and even brought a focus group of former psychosis patients in so that they made sure the experience was accurate, specifically, to what the psychosis patients experienced. So it wasn't so much about just making things weird when she was going crazy. It was more about giving you the perspective of someone who has this diagnosis so that you believe what she believes. You end up role playing as mad... not just observing someone who is. Even the voices in your head become your companions along the way. It's extremely immersive.

Every single fight in this game feels like the one that will kill you. Every puzzle in the game feels like it uses some sort of "dream sense." Like it makes sense in a dream but it wouldn't make sense in real life. Symbols are everywhere. What do they mean? They must mean something. Figure it out. The whole experience was personal and honest, and on top of it all... a brilliant depiction of Norse mythology. Damn good game. Really a damn good game.

Also, look at the screenshots below. These are actual shots from the game. It actually looked that good.

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Organization of Organized Religion

For the last year or so, I have had a little saying that I have been using to explain what organized religion really is. It goes a little something like this:

"The purpose of an organized religion is to have an organization."

Organized religion has never been about God. It has never been about Jesus. It has always been about having the organization and nothing else. And honestly, everyone should agree with this. Why? Because without an organization of people, you won't have an organization! That doesn't mean people won't believe or serve God, it just means that they will be doing it outside of the organization. Organized religion... is entirely unnecessary... and it opens itself up to corruption.

Everybody is different. People think and believe in different ways. Not everybody is going to agree with the practices and politics of an organization. A church will often have a set of rules or tenet that their flock has to follow in order to be apart of it. For example: "Chewing gum during a sermon is irreverent."

If anyone disagrees with the gum chewing rule, he still has to follow that tenet in order to be a part of the church. If he refuses or is caught chewing gum during the sermon, this threatens to break down the organization, so it then needs to be addressed in some manor. The gum chewing offender should then be talked to and explained that he needs to stop or else there will be consequences. He also has the ability to leave the church if he chooses. If he stays but continues to chew gum, there is only one way to handle it: excommunication!

Excommunication is a long and friendly word which simply means that the horrible gum chewer is being banned from being a part of the organized church. This is actually not a bad thing. You may not think gum chewing is bad, but if the church says it is, then he really does need to be booted out. But then... what if the rest of the flock felt that it was unfair that the man got booted for gum chewing? What if they make complaints? What if the whole church ends up in an uproar over it? How does the organization cope?

Well if this organization was really based on the belief in God, it would ignore their outcries and shout out loud and clear that gum chewing is abhorrent and must be stifled during that very important sermon. But then everyone might leave. Sure, you might have a few people who preferred mints. But when the preacher comes out and sees most everyone has left... it doesn't really seem worth it anymore. Maybe they should just close down? You think? You think that's what should happen? Actually... yeah.

But that's not what is going to happen realistically. What is going to happen is that the pastor will fold. Tenets will change. Gum chewing will be allowed. And as time goes by the flock will want more things. They will ask that newspapers and books can be read. Video games can be played (with the sound off, of course). What about adding a restaurant to the church? That might be nice and convenient. And then politics. Soon, the church is not about a belief but how the organization functions to make people comfortable.

The point of an organization is to have an organization. If you don't concede to your flock, you run the risk of losing that organization. (Although what remains is actually pretty solid and noteworthy.) But since organizations must exist, they give into the demands of the flock and become, not something built upon religion, but of the desires of the humans of earth. It exists only to perpetuate itself. It is, at the end of it all, pointless.

I consider myself a Christian. I don't go to church. I do not have any desire to become a part of one of those soulless organized groupings. I honestly do not think they should ever have existed. When Jesus died, the curtain of the temple ripped in half. Busily afterwards, the priests did their best to mend it up and perpetuate something that God had deemed obsolete.

Yes, we are meant to gather together. Yes, we are supposed to share the Word. But not through an organized church. The temple is obsolete. We need to make our friends and figure these things out on our own. My group is called The Figments and has a total of zero tenets! No dogma either. We make things. We create things. And while we do it, we talk... and discover... and figure things out. We may be wrong... but the point is that we are doing it ourselves. We are free to do it ourselves. We are not a theocracy anymore, and God does not care if we join an organized local church!

As a small addendum to this blog, I want to point out that the Mormons do an extremely good job at excommunicating people when they fall out of line. I respect them, as an organization, for doing this. I still think their religion is rubbish, but if I lost my mind and decided that I needed to suddenly join an organized religion, they would be the ones I'd pick. They are good people and take their stuff seriously. Good on them! If only everyone else could follow their lead! Still, all unnecessary to begin with. Get out before they collectively convince you to become an atheist, if not already.

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: Movie Boycotts and Credits

I've struggled with the concept of the boycott of movies. It is the idea of refusing to see a movie because some actor said something bad or some other controversy occurred surrounding the film. For a lot of my friends, I've ended up being a sort of guinea pig for movies they have not really wanted to touch. And I've seen them and even sometimes enjoyed the films.

Often times, I have entirely become uninterested in a movie because of the controversy surrounding it. But if I still have a peaked interest, I start to feel bad if I don't go see it. A lot of this is because I just have to know if the movie rises above the stuff being said about it. This bring me to another beef I've had with films: crediting.

Sometimes I just don't want to know about what work goes into a movie. I am not particularly interested in the actors and other crew. I don't go to a movie because a certain actor was in it. I am trying to experience a work of fiction and see if I enjoy it. But a lot of movies go through a lot of trouble nowadays to tell you everything about everything involving the film.

I yearn for a world where movies stand entirely on their own without us needing to know anything about who is playing what, and what person made coffee for who on the set. I don't care. All that stuff could easily be made available online if I had the sudden interest to look. I am tired of movies being all about the people making it. I'd rather it just be about the story they are trying to tell. That's my beef really.

It annoys the crap out of my friends, but I have this odd habit of, not only watching movies in order, but avoiding the trailers. I'll keep track of text descriptions and listen to things people may say about it, but I generally just like to put myself in an isolation chamber. A lot of the times when I finally do see a movie, I am seeing it entirely for what it is without any of the pre-hype that often comes with it. I dare say I do this far more than my friends even know. I get a lot of weird gazes when I refuse to look at a clip or a trailer. I know... Sorry, guys. I'm a weirdo. I'm just a fan of watching movies completely free of spin.

Back to boycotts: I still can't avoid the controversy about certain movies because my friends will talk. I won't ignore my friends, and so there is nothing I can do about that. But that curiosity can still get very strong. I know it isn't a movie, but I avoided playing Halo 4 for years before I broke and tried it out. It really wasn't even close to as bad as I had been told. And really I think the series is still very good.

I've gotten to the point that I don't really believe in boycotts. I don't really care about the actors and crew. I don't care if they get my money. I am only really paying to see something that I want to see. And if I end up hating it, I'll tell the world how I feel about it. If I love it, I do so despite the controversy. I love it on its merits as a movie--a work of fiction.

Now, understand that this way of thinking still prevents me from seeing something if it just makes me feel sick thinking about it. The new Bond movie has me reeling so bad that I just can't be bothered to get off my ass to go see it. I just got way too worn down from hearing what was happening back stage and about the future plans for the franchise. It killed my interest. But that's my point. I only go if I have an interest. And sometimes, the movie ends up being good as it is presented all by itself.

On one final bizarre note, I absolutely loved Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. As a standalone movie it was extremely good. Later on I found out that parts of the plot were canonized into a random video game called Fortnite. This ruined a lot of the movie for me, but the movie itself without all the outside stuff was wonderful. I am basically using this as an example why I usually seclude myself and act in this way. I can't trust the world to get things right, but maybe the movie is fine on its own.

I'm not interest in boycotts anymore. I'm a lover of fiction and I want to see it for what it is... untouched. Don't care about actors. Don't care about directors. Don't care about controversy. Just give me a story I can sink into, and for goodness sake, do a good job at it or I'm going to bash the shit out of it.

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